The first storm of autumn was expected to blow through San Diego County by early Thursday after depositing small but welcome amounts of rain and reminding people just how strong winds off the ocean can be.

The National Weather Service said that final rainfall totals would be about one-tenth of an inch along the coast and a half-inch or more in the higher foothills and mountains. Wednesday's storm represents the first significant rain that San Diego has received since March, and it comes at a time when federal forecasters say that virtually all of the county is experiencing severe drought conditions.

The fast-moving storm produced gusts of winds that exceeded 60 mph at Volcan Mountain near Fallbrook and more than 40 mph in and around Julian. The winds also snapped past 20 mph at the coast, turning breaking waves into a riot of foam.

Daytime high temperatures along the coast will only reach the upper 60s on Thursday and Friday, ushering in a cooler-than-normal weekend. Temperatures also will linger in the 60s across most inland foothills and valleys until a modest warming trend starts of Saturday.